Council staff jobs cut as Coast readies for Noosa-split

REDUNDANCIES have already occurred at Sunshine Coast Council as part of the de-amalgamation process.

Australian Services Union acting secretary Jennifer Thomas confirmed there had been about 10 redundancies of administration staff in the past fortnight.

She noted that council staff generally had been plagued by uncertainty about their futures, with about 400 to be moved to the new Noosa council.

However, unlike with the amalgamation process in 2008, the de-amalgamation guidelines offer no protections to staff against job losses.

Ms Thomas said the union had held meetings with staff in the past two days, where they aired concerns relating to redeployments, entitlement safeguards, changes in workloads for remaining staff, various personal issues, and the maintaining of council services.

"It's an important step to be talking about these things, without bottling it up," Ms Thomas said.

She said the process was far from straightforward, and was not as simple as returning those staff who can come from Noosa council with amalgamation.

"A lot's changed in five years," she said.

"We have had career progression, and some have physically moved house, relocated."

She added that some staff, if sacked, would be unable to find similar positions locally and may have to leave the region.

"It's important that we allow the transition to run as smoothly as possible. That's what these staff deserve," she said.

She said The Services Union represented indoor employees, making up about half the total council workforce.

The council staffing issue is due to be finalised by September in readiness for the formal start of the new Noosa council on January 1.